Basketball Game Preview: Vanden Vikings vs. Rodriguez Mustangs

Vanden has gone 10-0 against Rodriguez recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Vanden Vikings will host the Rodriguez Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. Vanden is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 61.5 points per game this season.

Vanden is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Mission Hills just ended the team's seven-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell just short of the Grizzlies by a score of 54-51. While losing is never fun, the Vikings can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 129th, while the Grizzlies are ranked 42nd).

Loss or not, Vanden got some senior leadership from Calonni Holloway and La'Miracle Lebon. Holloway dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 boards, while Lebon dropped a double-double on 14 points and 13 rebounds. Holloway has been hot, having also posted three or more steals the last seven times she's played. Another player making a difference was Makayla Smith, who posted seven points and three steals.

Even though they lost, Vanden smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 17 consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez came up short against Sacramento on Tuesday, falling 59-35.

Rodriguez has been struggling recently as they've lost six of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-9 record this season. As for Vanden, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-8.

Everything came up roses for Vanden against Rodriguez in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, as the squad secured a 79-14 victory. Does Vanden have another victory up their sleeve, or will Rodriguez turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.